Magnetic impulse motor



Jan. 18, 1949. E. K. CROSBY MAGNETIC IMPULSE MOTOR Filed March 22, 1947 Patented Jan. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAGNETIC IMPULSE MOTOR Elmer Keith Crosby, Worcester, Mass. Application March 22, 1947, Serial No. 736,544

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electric motors of the magnetic impulse type which are particularly designed for use in toys, such as metallic building sets.

It is the general object of my invention to provide a magnetic impulse motor for such purposes which is of improved and much simplifled construction; which may be easily and economically manufactured and assembled; which is very easily controlled as to speed and direction of rotation; and which is extremely reliable in operation.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved motor;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the control switch;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the switch, taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the magnets and associated parts, and taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, my improved motor comprises a sheet metal base II) on which a shaft I2 is rotatably supported in bearing plates I4 and I5. The shaft |2 supports a fly wheel l8 and is provided with a crank portion |'9 and with a small grooved pulley from which power may be taken off by a suitable cord or belt.

Magnet coils 24 are mounted on a plate 25 secured to a block 26 which in the base Ill. The coils 24 are connected in series, with one terminal 30 connected by a wire 3| to a binding nut 32, and with the other terminal 33 connected by a wire 34 to a U-shaped double contact member having substantially straight contact surfaces 4| and 42. One line wire L is connected to the binding nut 32 and a second line wire L is connected to a binding nut 44 which is grounded on the base III.

A rotating contact member 50 is mounted on one end of the shaft t2 and engages one or the other of the surfaces 4| or 42, according to the desired direction of rotation.

The U-shaped double contact member 40 is secured in a slot in a wood block 60 which is tightly threaded on a screw 6| (Fig. 3) secured in the plate l5 by a nut 62. The block 60 is held by friction but may be angularly shifted manually in either direction from the neutral position turn is mounted on (Cl. l72-126 2 shown in Fig. 4. In neutral position it stops the motor.

An armature plate 10 is mounted to slide loosely and with a substantially straight-line movement on pin ll of brass or other non-magnetic material, which are preferably mounted in and coaxial with the cores 12 of the magnet coils 24.

The armature plate 10 is fixed to one end of a connecting rod 15, and the other end of the rod has a direct bearing on the crank IQ of the shaft l2. The holes 11 in the plate 10 are slightly larger than the pins 1|, so that a slight rocking movement of the plate 10 is permitted as the crank l9 is rotated and the armature is reciprocated. The line wires L and L may be connected to a battery or to any convenient source of low voltage D. C. or A. C. electric cur rent.

When the contact member 50 engages one of the contact surfaces 4| or 42, a circuit is completed from the line wire L through the binding nut 32, wire 3| and terminal 30 to the coils 24 and thence through the terminal 33 and wire 34, contact member 40, rotating contact member 50, shaft l2, bearing plate l5, base in and binding nut 44 to the line wire L. The magnet coils are thus energized, attracting the armature l0 and causing rotation of the shaft 1.2 and fly wheel |8 in the usual manner of magnetic impulse motors.

It will be understood that the magnetic circuit is broken by further rotation as soon as the crank I9 passes horizontal dead center, and that the fly wheel I8 continues rotation of the shaft |2 until the crank I9 has passed the opposite dead center, soon after which the circuit is again closed.

If the switch block is turned so that the sur face 4| is engaged by the contact member 56, the fly wheel will be rotated in one direction, and if the contact is between the surface 42 and the member 50, the fly wheel will be rotated in the opposite direction.

Furthermore, the length of the period of contact between the member 5|) and the straight contact surface 4| or 42 may be varied by swinging said contact surface toward or away from the axis of the shaft 2. By such changing of the contact period, the speed of rotation of the fly wheel may be varied and controlled.

It thus appears that when this simple control switch is in the position shown in Fig. 4, the motor is at rest, but that both the direction and the speed of rotation may be controlled by simple angular displacement of the block 60 in a selected direction and to a selected extent.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a magnetic impulse motor, a, magnetic unit, an armature mounted to slide toward and away from said unit, non-magnetic and nonmagnetized means to support and guide said armature for substantially straight-line movement, a shaftiormed with a crank andjf'havinga fly wheel mounted thereon, a connecting rod having one end fixed to said armature and having the other end directly pivoted on said crank, and circuit-control means effectivetto periodically make and break the magnetic circuit.

2. The combination in a magnetic "impulse motor as set forth in claim v1, in 'whichzthe circuit-control means comprises a rotating contact member on said shaft and a control device comprising a pivoted and irictionally supported nonconducting block and a I U -shapedoontact memher having its transverse connecting portion mounted :in a transverse slot in said block and 4 having a pair of substantially straight contact surfaces positioned one at each side of said rotating contact member and engageable thereby as said member is selectively positioned, said control device being effective to control both the direction and the speed of rotation of said shaft by simple manual shifting of said block angularly on its pivoted frictional support, the direction of retation being controlled by the direction of said iangular shift ofssaid bleckantl therspeed of rotation being controlled bythe extent 'o'f's-aicl angular shift.

ELMER KEITH CROSBY.

REFERENCES CITED 'The following references are of record in the :file :of zthis apatentz 20 Number 

